Uncle Harvey
by Kooro
Summary: In Mike's arms was a baby. This did not bode well indeed. Harvey contemplates being an uncle.


**Sorry I don't have another chapter for "Heat Wave" up yet. It's been pretty hectic around here lately. All my classes demand I read all kinds of texts and such so there hasn't been much time to write. **

**Luckily, I had this fic stored away for such an occasion. Just a little one-shot for you guys.**

**._._._._._._._.**

Uncle Harvey

Harvey slowed as he neared his office.

Mike was at Donna's desk. Both had their backs to him. Both were distracted by something Harvey couldn't quite see. This did not bode well.

Harvey approached Donna's desk cautiously, narrowing his eyes at his – not working – secretary and associate as Mike's laugh and Donna's gentle cooing reached his ears.

When he reached the front of the desk, the two still ignored him, oblivious to the brooding presence among them. And Harvey could now see why. This did not bode well indeed.

In Mike's arms was an infant.

It was a baby boy, not even a year old judging by its inability to control its limbs and its only form of communication being spitting and gurgling. He was dressed in a simple outfit of white shorts and a blue shirt, pudgy arms and legs sticking out and waving around. A shock of blond hair covered the boy's head, the thin strands dropping down towards shining blue eyes and plump cheeks.

Mike was seated on the edge of Donna's desk, the boy propped up on his knee and Mike's firm grip around his middle. Mike rocked him back and forth in a gentle swaying motion, dipping the kid from side to side with additional sound effects to make the child laugh.

Donna was seated in her chair before him, wiggling her fingers and flashing her sparkling bracelet in front of the boy, making soft clucking sounds as she captivated the small boy with a wide array of expressions. She tickled his feet and lightly pinched his hands between her fingers to make his arms wave in the air in the direction Mike veered him in to make the boy appear to be on a ride. The boy squeaked and squealed with enjoyment, making Mike and Donna's smiles grow.

Harvey coughed loudly.

Both Donna and Mike looked up, their faces still stuck in a frivolous smile. Harvey glared, arms crossed over his chest. All three juveniles (with equal amounts of immaturity) sobered instantly at having been caught by the stern older man.

"What is this?" Harvey asked with an arched brow.

"A baby," Mike answered matter-of-factly, glancing hesitantly at Donna.

Seeing an opportunity to escape from the interrogation and the oncoming tirade that always came with it, Donna busily and innocently attended to the papers on her desk. Mike was technically the one holding the baby. Thus, it was his responsibility and, as far as Harvey was concerned, his fault that he and Donna weren't working.

"What is it doing here?" Harvey's voice remained unchanged; containing only the tone that turned the sentence into a question.

"Riding a roller coaster," Mike answered, uncertainty creeping into his words. He bobbed his knee up and down for emphasis, the baby rising and falling with a renewed outburst of enthusiastic gurgles.

Donna chuckled and Harvey's glared instantly shot to her.

"Don't think you're off the hook. I'm talking to you next."

Donna at least had the common courtesy to look rueful but when she turned away from him ashamedly, he knew the feeling wasn't sincere since Mike glanced down at her and his smile brightened briefly before he returned his attention to Harvey, the boy in his hands pulling at his fingers; wondering why the game had stopped.

"And whose is it?"

"Norma's."

This answer caught him by surprise. Granted, he was glad it wasn't the child of a woman Mike had knocked up, but the alternative wasn't much better. The boy was the son of Norma: Louis' secretary; a woman that scared Harvey more than Donna did.

Because, frankly, she gave him the creeps.

His glare evaporated instantly as appall and revulsion took its place.

"Why is it here?" Harvey asked, flinching away from the boy as spit dribbled from his chin and to the floor. He would ask Jessica to get new carpet later.

"Norma brought _him_ to show everyone," Mike replied, stressing the pronoun, "But she had to go talk to Louis for a minute and left _him_ with us so that we could play with _him_."

With each stress, Mike bounced the boy, lifting him into the air and then dropping him gently back down to his knee. The boy squirmed in delight.

"You two seem to be having fun," Harvey said with obvious dislike.

Mike's smile was back as he looked down at the blond head. The boy pawed at his pants, trying to get a hold of the fabric that so stubbornly resisted against his attempts. His endeavors were forgotten, however, when Donna offered him her pen. This promptly went to the boy's mouth.

"Must be the closeness in maturity." Harvey taunted, brushing past Mike towards his office. Mike snapped his attention back to him but Harvey ignored the glare burning at his back and Donna's quiet chuckling.

He entered his office and made it to his desk and sat down before he saw that he was not going to get away clean. Mike was headed towards him, the baby bouncing in his arms.

"Donna, stop him," Harvey commanded, knowing the intercom was on (when was it not?) and that Donna could hear him perfectly well. His eyes flickered to his secretary's back. "Donna."

Donna gave her chair a small turn so that she spun around slowly to face Harvey, gave him a helpless shrug with a wry smile, and spun back around to once again give him her back in one fluid motion.

Before Harvey could say more, Mike had unceremoniously entered his office, the baby waving a pen lathed in spit wildly in the air.

"Mike, get out," Harvey ordered firmly, scowling at the waving pen that was sending baby spit flying around his pristine room.

"Oh come on, Harvey. Don't tell me you hate babies," Mike said with a coy smirk. His smile softened when he looked to the boy. "Isn't he cute?"

"Deplorable," Harvey grumbled.

"What?"

"Adorable. Now get out."

"But you haven't met him yet."

Yes he had. He had seen all he had wanted of the baby. All babies were the same anyway. They were all small, fragile things with bipolar disorders: happy and giggling one moment, screaming and crying the next. They were messy, perpetually wet, and a lot of work. There was no pleasing them; no deal to be made that could be kept. They always wanted more and didn't stick to the terms of the agreement.

You see one, you've seen them all.

"Pass," Harvey muttered and looked down to his papers, hoping Mike would get the hint that he was doing very important work and was not to be disturbed further.

Mike didn't get the hint. No surprise there.

Mike came around the desk to Harvey, leaning against the desk, the baby in his arms. Seeing something new and far more interesting, the baby threw down the spit laden pin (much to Harvey's disdain) and reached urgently for the baseballs displayed on Harvey's desk.

Obliging, Mike reached out for one of the baseballs. Harvey's arm shot out and he caught Mike's wrist in a vice grip. "Do it, and you're fired," Harvey threatened, voice low.

Mike froze as dark simmering eyes bore into him. He swallowed nervously. The baby, sensing the sudden change in mood, made an upset noise and clung to the front of Mike's suit, looking at Harvey with a wrinkled brow and unsure gaze.

"Hey," Mike murmured softly, looking down at the boy; all fear gone. "There's nothing to be scared of. Uncle Harvey's a nice guy."

"Excuse me?" Harvey snapped.

Disregarding his retort, Mike deftly slipped his wrist out of Harvey's loosened grip and slipped his hand around Harvey's, lightly grasping the older man's wrist to make Harvey wave at the boy. "See? Good Harvey."

Though he wanted so badly to pull away and simply kick Mike and the boy out of his office, Harvey sat completely still, as if transfixed, as Mike guided his hand to the boy. Mike lifted the boy's hand to meet Harvey's and then gently placed the small chubby hand in Harvey's palm.

"Harvey, meet Ryan."

The boy stared at Harvey uncomprehendingly as Harvey's fingers slowly closed around the tiny hand immersed in his much larger one. Such a small hand.

Harvey swallowed.

"Say hi, Harvey," Mike advised.

"Hi," Harvey said uneasily.

"There we go," Mike beamed. "Introductions made. That wasn't so bad was it?"

The small hand wiggled out of Harvey's as Ryan's attention shifted to Mike's watch. Mike smiled down at him until his own attention shifted to his watch and the time depicted on it. His eyes widened.

"Oh crap. I need to give Louis the file he wanted."

He straightened quickly and started for the door when he remembered that he was carrying a small boy in his arms. He spun around and dropped the boy on Harvey's lap.

"Hey!" Harvey exclaimed anxiously. "Where are you going?"

"I have to give Louis the file he wanted or he'll make me work overtime."

"What about the kid?" Harvey picked Ryan up hesitantly and held him out to Mike.

"You can watch him for a minute can't you?"

"Why can't you drop him off with Donna?"

"Because Uncle Harvey needs to take a turn watching Ryan. Aunt Donna already had hers," Donna's voice sounded over the intercom, making all three males look around in surprise. "Besides, I have to take a coffee break."

"Donna, get back here," Harvey ordered but his secretary was already ambling away from her desk and out of hearing. To make matters worse, Mike was sidling towards the door, shooting furtive glances from Harvey to Louis' office.

"What am I supposed to do with him?" Harvey shot at the receding Mike. Though he expertly disguised his desperation with annoyance, he wasn't able to hide it from himself. He didn't know what to do with a baby.

"I'm sure you can think of something," Mike replied, making it to the door. "He's a baby. You can distract him with pretty much anything."

"But he's Norma's baby."

"So?"

"The woman creeps me out."

"Ok, pretend he's my baby."

"How does that help?"

"You like me."

And with that, Mike hopped out of the office and trotted to his desk to find the file Louis had sent him to fetch; leaving Harvey staring after him as the door to his office swung closed silently. He was now alone in his office with a toddler.

Ryan looked up at him questioningly: too big, too bright eyes piercing Harvey. Harvey fidgeted under the gaze, his own eyes flickering about his office for inspiration for what he could do to entertain the baby in his lap to prevent him from crying. He certainly wasn't going to give Ryan (an irresponsible baby with no respect for another's property) anything of his.

Sensing Harvey's indecision, Ryan took his entertainment into his own hands and took hold of Harvey's tie.

"Hey, no," Harvey scolded, prying his tie free from Ryan's grubby fingers. He was too late. His tie was wrinkled and stained with spit.

Ryan giggled and reached for the lapels of Harvey's expensive suit. This attempt was also denied as Harvey blocked his reaching fingers. Finding fun in trying to get past Harvey's defenses, Ryan squealed. Spit started to accumulate on the boy's chin.

Harvey didn't hide the disgust that deepened his frown. He promptly lowered the baby to the floor and sat back in his chair.

Ryan looked around at the sudden change in scenery, blinking with a look of pure surprise on his face. He turned his head and looked up to see Harvey sitting above him. Smiling at the familiar face, Ryan maneuvered himself to sit in front of Harvey, waving his arms, begging to be picked up again.

Harvey glared down at the boy. Mike was going to get an earful for this, and plenty of paperwork. He was going to regret abiding by Louis' orders. Harvey was going to give him double the amount of work Louis had threatened him with. Leaving Harvey alone with the baby of the woman whom he disliked and dreaded with such passion. Damn bastard.

_Pretend he's my baby._

Harvey tilted his head as he examined Ryan. Darken the silvery blond hair and dull the cerulean blue eyes and maybe the boy could resemble Mike. Their smiles were the same. And their disregard for Harvey's rules and personal space. Even now, the baby was swatting at Harvey's shoelaces.

A smile flickered over Harvey's lips. Yeah, the baby kind of reminded him of the kid.

Ryan abruptly made a surprisingly large yawn and blinked sleepily at Harvey.

Ok, the baby reminded him a lot of the kid.

"Yeah, it's pretty contagious around here," Harvey sympathized, the tension from discomfort fading.

Ryan swayed with incoherent mumbles and Harvey reached down and picked him up, all previous hesitance and resentment gone. The baby nestled against his chest as Harvey carried him over to the couch. He sat slowly, cradling the boy in his arms and settled on the couch as quietly as possibly.

The moment the boy's breathing deepened, Mike reentered and, for once, Harvey was glad he didn't abide by the rules of knocking first.

"Harvey?"

"Quiet. Don't wake him up."

Mike crept over to Harvey and peered down at the baby asleep in his arms.

"What'd you do to him?" Mike whispered accusingly.

"Nothing," Harvey shot back in the same lowered voice.

Both men froze when Ryan made a sound and shifted against Harvey. Harvey breathed a sigh of relief when he remained asleep. He looked back up at Mike when he heard his associate chuckling softly.

"What?"

"Aw, he likes his Uncle Harvey."

"Shut up and take him already."

Mike knelt down in front of Harvey as Harvey carefully leaned forward to ease Ryan into Mike's waiting arms. Mike adjusted the boy in his arms and then stood just as carefully. He looked down at the sleeping boy and then gave Harvey a warm smile.

"Good boy," he smiled.

"Out," Harvey demanded quietly and without heat despite the fact that Mike had stolen his phrase reserved for the kid.

Mike didn't lose his smile. He only nodded and turned to go. Donna was already at the door, holding it open for him. Harvey stood from the couch and slipped his hands into his pockets. He could see just a glimpse of blonde hair peeking over Mike's shoulder before Mike left the office and headed towards Norma's desk. Watching the younger man, and the even younger boy, together like that made it appear as if Mike actually _were _the father.

Being an uncle wasn't so bad. If Mike ever did have a kid of his own, Harvey figured he could be a pretty good uncle. He knew he would have to be. The kid was so far integrated into his life by now that he doubted he would be spared from babysitting duties. Then again, maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing. Maybe.

"For the record," Donna's voice announced over the intercom, "I think you'd be a good uncle."

Harvey frowned. How did Donna–?

"I know body language," Donna answered knowingly, smiling at Harvey through the glass windows of his office.

"Thank you, Donna," Harvey intoned, an unbidden amused smirk lifting one side of his mouth.

He returned to his desk and started on his files, glancing down momentarily at his untied shoelaces.

oOoOo

Mike gave an audible yawn from where he was sitting on Harvey's floor, a box of files at his side and an array of papers scattered in front of him. Harvey paused from the document he was reading to glance down at his associate.

Mike was starting to sway, his head dipping up and down as he tried to stay awake. He rubbed distractedly at his eyes with another yawn.

"All right, kid. That's enough for tonight," Harvey advised, placing his own pen down on his desk.

Mike shook his head stubbornly. "Not yet. Almost done." At least, that's what it sounded like what he said. His words were so garbled with exhaustion that Harvey wasn't sure.

"It can wait 'til tomorrow. I don't want you falling asleep and drooling all over the evidence."

Mike made another incoherent mumble but Harvey didn't find it persuading since Mike's eyes weren't even open anymore.

"Come on, you can sleep here," Harvey offered, standing from his desk to crouch down beside Mike. "Can't have you riding on that death trap of yours like this at this hour."

Mike made another incoherent mumble but didn't argue or resist when Harvey pulled his arm over his shoulders. Instead, he simply tipped to the side to lean against Harvey, his head dropping down to bump against the older man's chest as Harvey stood, picking Mike up with him.

"This tie is silk. It's already been drooled on today. If I see another spot, you'll be living in a box on the street," Harvey growled as he supported the kid to his couch. There was a quiet chuckle and Harvey's scowl deepened. Cheeky kid.

Muttering under his breath, Harvey eased Mike down onto his couch and helped him get his feet up. "Don't get used to this," he warned, slipping Mike's folded jacket under his associate's head.

"Thanks, Uncle Harvey," Mike sighed, a ghost of a smile fading from his lips. Then his breathing deepened.

Harvey looked down at the sleeping kid on his couch – and at his tie to ensure no new additions to the current spot had been made – and then shook his head with a soft chuckle.

Being an uncle wasn't so bad at all.

**._._._._._._._.**

**I wanted to see how Harvey would react to a baby and this is what I imagined. He can smooth talk with adults but with a baby, I don't think he'd have the same suave grace.**

**Since I don't know what Norma looks like, I guessed with the baby. I had to choose features that somewhat resembled Mike's without being a perfect match. I had fun writing the parallels between Mike and Ryan and I hope you enjoyed reading.**

**I'll find some time to write more. Don't worry. Until then,**

**Hobey-Ho**


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